Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone

Movie Title: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Official Website (it might still work): Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Rating (out of 10): 6
Reviewed By: Michael Stevens
Buy the: Video/DVD \| Soundtrack
The Review:

Well if you have been alive the last few years, then you know that there is a superstar among younger readers, and his name is Harry Potter. This young Harry character was orphaned as an infant, is the child of a wizard and witch, and thus he too is destined to be a wizard. He has also enticed millions of children and adults alike to read the books about him written by author J.K. Rowling. As for myself, I have not read nor plan on reading the books (they just aren’t in a genre that I tend to read).

As to the movie, it begins with an infant Harry being dropped off at his aunt and uncle’s house in London by Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonnagall, and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, also in From Hell). Soon enough things skip ahead a decade and we learn what horrible god parents Harry’s aunt and uncle have been to the boy while spoiling their own son. Then after a bit of a delay, and numerous letters, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe from The Tailor of Panama) is off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There young Mr. Potter is to follow in the footsteps of his parents and become a great wizard. Well of course we now need an antagonist, which at first is rich kid Draco (Tom Felton) from rival Slytherin House. Harry and his cohorts from Gryffindor House, namely Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) must battle Draco and those from Slytherin for best house at Hogwarts (much like Greek houses at colleges). Then comes the rumor of a secret package stored on the third floor, where it is guarded by Fluffy, a huge three-headed dog. We soon learn that Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard Harris from Gladiator) is keeping the Sorcerer’s Stone there for safekeeping from an evil force/being, whose name should never be spoken. Meantime we learn a lot about Harry and his friends, and that Professor McGonnagall (Maggie Smith) is on Harry’s side. Back to the stone where Harry & Co.’s main suspect for trying to steal the stone is the evil looking Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman of Dogma) who is out to get the job of weakly Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart, The End of The Affair). So who is after the stone, and can the wizard superstar to be Harry Potter stop them before it’s too late? Editor’s note: This is all really simplified, and a few other interesting details have been left out.

Originally Steven Spielberg was to direct this film, but he walked away from the project and Chris Columbus stepped in as the director (lucky SOB). Steve Kloves wrote the screenplay based on Rowling’s book. A few other cast members are John Cleese (Rat Race), John Hurt, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, David Bradley, and Harry Melling.

As a film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has lots of special effects, great scenery, an interesting plot, and even character development! The acting was fine, despite most of the main actors being under the age of 14. There were even a few laughs along the way. But unless you believe in magic, then the entire storyline and many actions are impossible (this is of course true for many films, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it). Yet, there is one thing left, the movie is two and a half hours long, and many parts of it are boring to an adult, which I guess I fall into that category. Moving on though to the distinguished About-Movies.com rating, where I cast upon the film six couches out of ten (though going into the film I was hoping for a much lower rating). Adios.

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Last updated: Saturday, October 28, 2006 05:37:37 PM

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